Truck



Dec. 25, 1934. J. 1 @Mns TRUCK Filed May 31, 1953 JUH/v L C VDE.

patented Bec.` 2.5, 1934 U PATENT claims.

lInthe moving of piles or stacks ofcollapsible chairs in lodge halls or in places where portable chairs are extensively used, it has been a source of considerable trouble and inconvenience when 5 moving large quantities ofchairs on trucks from one room or location to another to first get a truck and then move it in thevicinity of the chairsi to be .transported pile the chairs on the truck and then push fthetru'ck to a .desired loca-l 1'0? tion, wherethe chairs are vremoved'from the truck and-piled on the floor until ready for use. The emptied truck is'then returned to the original source of another supply of chairs.

To overcome the inconvenience hereinbefore re- ]'51 ferred to with regardl to the handling of .chairs or other articles, the present invention has been devised to provide a simplified form of combination truck and platform whereby the handling of chairs and lsimilar articles is greatly-facilitated by theprovision of a truck frame which may be moved into and out of engagement with'a truck body or supporting platform to transport the platform and the load carried thereby'into a desired location,l and'then remove the truck rameffrom 5" its association with the platform which is' lowered into position on the floor and left there with the load supported thereon, thereby permitting the removable truck frame to be re-used in combination with another-truck body or platform thus ob- 36 Viating the necessity of repeatedly'piling upand unloading of the chairs or other articles as Ahas been necessary heretofore with the use of former types of trucks. I 1' :'f- E It is an-object of this invention :to provide v`a 5 simplified and Vinexpensive type of portable truck wherein the truck frame is-removably engaged with the truck body or platform,r i I It is also an object of "this'inv'ention to provide a portable .truck framev adapted to be. removably 40 engaged beneatlfraI truck body andihavingmeans for elevating the truck body to permit the same to be transferred into afkdiiferentv locationfand theny lowered upon the' floor allowing `the 'truck frame to be removed from engagement therewith.`

'45 It is aL further'objectfof thisrinvention VtopIO- vide an improved typeA of portable truck consist- -ing of a truck body vand `aportable truck frame removably engaged therein, said truck body and frame having means'co-actingwith one another 50 for the purpose'of properly centering theload on the truck frame when the device is iniuse.

Itis furthermore aniobject ofthisv invention .to provide an improved and simplified form of'port` able trucl; wherein' a truckkbody orplatform is 5'5 adapted to have removably projected therebeneath from either end a portable truck frame wherebyl the truck body may be moved into any desired location Iwhen loaded after which the truck frame may beV removed from engagement therewith leaving the'. truck body ,in the selected position permitting re-use of the truck frame for the purpose of transporting similar truck bodies.

It is an importanty object of this invention to provide anv improved and simplified inexpensive type. of portabletruck comprising 'a substantially channel shaped truck body into which a truck p frame maybe engaged from either end of the truck body tov raise the truck body out of engagement with the floor, and then transport the truck rbody into a desired location in which it is adapted to. be'lowered into .contactwitlr the oor while the truck frame is removed from engagementY therewith for're-use in connection with similar truck bodies. I

Other and further important ob-jects vof Ythis invention will be apparent from thedisclosures in ing. f The invention (in a.I preferred form) is illustrated in the vdrawing and hereinafter more fully described.'v

On they drawingz' Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of an improved truckembodying the principles of this invention Aillustrating the truck innormal position with the .body and truck frame resting on ,tliefoon Figure 2 is aside elevational view of'thetruck With the 'truck frame elevated in position for use and holding the truck body elevated above the surface of the floor to permit the truck to be propelled. y f

Figure y3 is an renlargedend elevational view off the truck takenat the front end of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top plan view ofthe truck frame Wth'the truck' body'y removed.

Figure 5is aside elevationalview vof `a `modified formof the ktruck with the bod'yyand the truckfframe in normal'position resting on the floor; l f

As shown yon the drawing:

Theimproved truck comprisesa body unit and a truck vunittwhich'are adapted to be used in combination or independently of one another.

The body unit of," the truck is adapted to be usedas av supporting platform adapted to rest o n 'the floor permitting a stackof chairs, boxes or other `articles to be supported thereon. The body unit is of substantially channel shaped cross section open at the bottom and at vboth ends and the specification and the accompanying drawcomprises a supporting plate or top 1 having rigidly secured to the longitudinal margins thereof downwardly projecting side boards or legs 2 which may be cut away at 3 along the lower edge if desired. Secured to the lower margins of the outer faces of the side boards 2 are socket members 4 to receive the lower ends o f removable retaining posts or bars 5 provided when necessary for the purpose of holding chairs or other articles in position upon the body or platform unit. Also secured on the outer sides of the legs or side boards 2 near the upper margins thereof are retaining straps 6 through which the posts or bars 5 project to hold the same in proper position with Y the upper end of the posts projecting above the top surface of the platform or body unit.v In case the retaining posts are not required they may be readily removed.

In the form of the device illustrated inFiguresV 1 to 4 inclusive the top board 1 has rigidly secured in substantially the center of the under surface thereof a downwardly projecting stop member or block 7. The stop member is provided to serve as a centering means for the load upon the truck frame as hereinafter more fully described.

The truck unit for the device comprises a framework consisting of a pair of -frame sills 8 connected by means of a cross bar or .brace rod 9. The sills 8 at one end are deilected inwardly toward one another at 10 thereby bringing .the front end of the sills closer together as clearly illustrated in Figure 4 toV form a suitable support for a bearing sleeve and brace 11. Journaledin the bearing sleeve 11 and projecting outwardly' be.- yond each side of the truck frame is an axle 12 on Vthe ends of which rollers or wheels 13 are mounted. The rear ends of the frame sills vare bent upwardly and then outwardly to provide handles 14 which may diverge as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 to afford sufficient space therebetween for an operator desiring to handle the truck.

integrally formedor rigidly secured at the bent portions 10 of the frame sills A6. are upwardly projecting studs or lugs 15. Rigidly connecting the two studs 15 is a yoke or bridge member 16 which projects inwardly from the front .end .of the truck frame as clearly illustrated in `Figure 4 into a position to permit the same to co.act with the stop member '7 when the front end .of Ythe truck frame is projected beneath the truck body.

unit as illustrated in Figure 1. It -will thus-.be noted that the truck frame unit is adapted lto be projected into the stationary -body unit when the truck frame is lowered so that when the yoke member 16 contacts the stop inember "7" the truck body and the truck frame unit are properly associated with one another for the proper centering of the load on the truck unit. y

With the truck unit projected into the' lstationary body unit resting `on the .flooras illustrated in Figure l, the attendant or. operator merely engages the handles 14 and swings..the truck frame upwardly into the position illustrated in Figure 2 thereby causing the .truck 15 and the frame sills 8 to raise the truck body off of the iloor thereby permitting the ltruck to be moved about on the rollers or wheels A In the modified showing ofthe truck-device as illustrated inFigure 5, the various parts are similar to those illustrated and described/'in connection with Figures 1 to 4 V`of the drawing.` this modified'for-m -of the device, the stop member 7 and the bridge or yoke member 16 are omitted.

The improved truck is readily adaptable and convenient for use in handling collapsible chairs in lodge halls and the like and for the moving of other articles of manufacture. A number of the body units may be provided for use with va single truck unit whereby a body unit when positioned upon the floor as illustrated in Figure 1 may have a supply of collapsible chairs or other articles stacked thereon, After the truck body has been loaded, the portable truck unit is engaged beneath the body unit by projecting the wheel supporting end of the truck unit into either open end of the body unit, until the yoke or bridge member 16 contacts the stop member 7. With the body unit and the truck frame unit associated with one another as illustrated in Figure 1, the truck frame is raised by means of the handles 14 with the frame sills pivoting about the axle 12 so that the studs 15 and portions of the frame sills 8 are brought into contact with the lower surface of the body top plate 1 so that the .body unit is liftedfofl of the floor and the truck is adapted `to be moved about on the wheels 13 to the location lto which it is desired to move the chairs or articles carried by the truck body. When the destination for the load is reached, the frame handles A14 are merely lowered thereby permitting the truck body to be lowered into engagement .with the floor permitting the truck frameunit to `be pulled .out from underneath the body unit for re-use in combination with another loaded truck body. The loaded body unit may be unloaded immediately or if desired the load may remain on the supporting truck body or platform until the chairs or other articles forming-the load are needed.y

In theffor-m .of the dev-ice illustrated in Figures, l to 4 inclusive, the stop member 7' in combination with the yoke 16 provides an arrangement for properly centering the ,load on the truck frame and. also serves as a means for preventing the loaded truck body from accidentally sliding forwardly off of the truck unit when the truck is in use.

The'removable posts or'bars 5 may be used whenever it is found necessary for the purpose of retaining a load in position 4on the truck body or platform unit.

YIt will, of course, be understood ,that many details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of Vthis invention yand it is therefore not the purpose to 'limit thepatent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims. .v 1 1 Iclaimas my invention:

.- 1. A truck deyicelcomprising a body normally resting on the oor, a truck frame projectable into the body, rollers on the frame for supporting oneend .thereof with the opposite end of the framel shaped to normally -rest on the floor, and projections on said frame movable into the body when the frame is Alowered and also movable into engagement -with the body when the frame is raised to lift the body orf of the oor.

' 2'. A'truck device .comprising a body unit open at the bottom and at both ends and normally positioned torest o n the iloor, a truck unitfor projection into either end of the body unit, said truck unit consisting of a frame, roller means for suppprting one end of the frame abovethe floor, with the ropposite end of the frame normally adapted to rest .on the floor, handles formed on the end of the frame which normally rests onl ment with the bodyunit to raise the same oi of the floor. o Y

3. A truck device comprising a body unit open at the bottom and at both ends and normally positioned to rest on the floor, a stop member in said body unit, and a truck unit independent of the body unit constructed to be projected into either end of the body unit without disturbing the position thereof, saidtruck unit comprising a frame, roller means for supporting one end of the frame above the floor, handles on the opposite ends of the frame, stud members on said frame movable into the body unit With the roller end of the frame, and a yoke member connecting the stud members and movable into engagement with the stop means of the body unit to limit the insertion of the roller supported'end of the truck frame into the body unit and also serving as a means for centering the body unit with respect to the truck unit when the handle carrying end of the frame is pivotally swung about the roller supported end of the frame into engagement with the body unit to raise the same off of the floor.

4. In a truck device, the combination with a truck body, of stop members projecting downwardly therein, a truck unit for removable engagement therein, said truck unit comprising a pair of sills bentat'one end to form handles, cross members connecting rthe sills, roller means for supporting the end of the truck unit opposite the handles, studs projecting upwardly from said sills to serve as supports for the truck body, and a yoke member connecting said studs to co-act with the stop members in the truck body for limiting the projection of the truck unit into the truekbody.

5. A truck device comprising, in combination, a truck body, stop members projecting downwardly therefrom, a roller truck unit for removable engagement in said truck body, and means on said truck unit for co-action with said stop members to limit the insertion of the truck unit into the truck body and hold the truck body properly centered on the truck unit.

JOHN L. CLYDE. 

